Crupper.



LEWIS SANDERS ELLIS, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

GRUPPER.

Specification of Letters, Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

Application filed May'9, 1908. Serial N 0. 431,922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS S. ELLIS, of Lexington, in the county ofFayette and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Cruppers; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention'relates to improvements in 'cruppers,'the object of theinvention being to so construct such a device that the weight of thetail of a horse will, be distributed throughout the crupper. v

A further object is to so construct a crupper that it will operate totrain the tail of a horse in such manner that it will become set to agraceful curve, with that portion of the tail close to the body of thehorse disposed approximately perpendicular.

A further object is to provide a crupper which shall be simple inconstruction; comprise few parts, and which can be so applied to a horsethat it will retain its position and avoid discomfort to the horse.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter setforth, and pointed out in the claims.-

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view illustrating theapplication of my im-- provements to a horse. Fig. 2 is an enlargedperspective view of the crupper, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view. I

1, 1, represent heel plates having broad rear portions 2 and theseplates are somewhat curved so that they will adapt themselves to thehorse with the broadened portions-2 resting against the buttocks] Eachbroadened portion 2 of the heel plates is provided near 1ts side edgeswith perforations 3 for the accommodation of suitable fastening meanswhereby pads are secured to said broadened portions 2; The heel plates1, 1, are spaced apart, disposed at a slight angle to each other andconnected in proximity to the forward ends of the broadened portions 2by means of a curved cross-bar 4 which isintegral at its ends with therespective heel plates.

Immediately in front of the cross-bar 4 a brace or support 5 is securedto the heel plates. This brace or support comprises two curved membersor standards 6, 6, provided at their lower ends with feet 7 dis osed atan angle thereto and secured to the eel plates.

The members or standards 6, 6, are connected by a series of curved bars8 integral at their ends with said standards. The brace or support 5 isso formed, that it will be somewhat tapering with its narrowest portionat its free end and it is secured to the heel plates in such manner thatit will be disposed slightly forward of the perpendicular with relationthereto.

When the crupper is placed on a horse with the broadened portions 2 ofthe heel plates resting against the buttocks of the horse, the tail willbe supported in a graceful curve by the brace 5 and the curved cross-bar4,the latter supporting the tail close to the body of the horse.

With my improvements that ortion of the horses tail close to his bodywill be supported in aposition slightly forward of the perpendicular andthe pressure or weight of the tail will be distributed to all parts ofthe device, being sustained not only by the cross-bars of the brace butalso by the cross-bar 4 which connects the heel plates.

The heel plates are provided near their forward ends with perforationsto permit the attachment of the bifurcated rear portion of theback-strap 9, the forward portion of which latter is connected with thesurcingle 10. At one of the outer series of perforations 3 of each heelplate, a loop or ring 11 is attached and to these loops or rings, straps12 are connected and the forward ends of these straps are attached tothe surcingle. The straps 12 thus serve to prevent lateral displacementof the crupper and insure the retention of the brace in position tomaintain the tail of the horse always comfortable.

It will be observed that my improved crupper comprises but two castingsand that these are permanently secured together, thus producing a devicewhich is cheap in construction and yet substantial and which will beefficient in the performance of the functions required of it.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters- Patent, is.

1. A crupper comprising two heel plates adaptable to the buttocks of ananimal, a curved cross-bar connecting said heel plates, and a brace orsupport permanently secured to said heel plates and disposedapproximately perpendicular thereto.

2. A crupper comprising two heel plates adaptable to the buttocks of ananimal, a

curved cross-bar connecting said heel plates, a brace projectingupwardly from the heel plates and provided with a series of cross barswhich cooperate with the first mentioned cross-bar to support the tailof a horse, said brace permanently secured to said heel plate.

3. A crupper comprising two castings, one of said castings consisting oftwo heel plates adaptable to the buttocks of a horse and connected by anintegral cross-bar and the other casting consisting of two standardssecured directly to said heel plates and a series of curved integralcross bars.

4. The combination with downwardly pro- LEWIS SANDERS ELLIS.

Witnesses SHELBY T. HARBISON, TILLIAM T. GRIFFY.

